Belichick Breaks His Silence and Denies Taping Practice

BOSTON (AP) — Patriots Coach Bill Belichick has denied suggestions by a former employee that his club taped the St. Louis Rams’ walkthrough before the 2002 Super Bowl.

Belichick told The Boston Globe that in his entire coaching career, he had never seen recordings of another team’s practice before playing that team.

“I have never authorized, or heard of, or even seen in any way, shape, or form any other team’s walkthrough,” Belichick told The Globe. “We don’t even film our own. We don’t even want to see ourselves do anything, that’s the pace that it’s at. Regardless, I’ve never been a part of that.”

Still, Belichick apologized to the league, the other teams, the fans and the team for the controversy caused by the original charges of taping.

On Sept. 13, Commissioner Roger Goodell fined Belichick $500,000 and the Patriots $250,000, and took away a first-round draft choice, a penalty intended to send a message through the league. The Patriots then submitted all information they had illegally obtained, and the N.F.L. destroyed it Sept. 20.

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Goodell has said that he destroyed the evidence, in part, because there was no use for it. The Patriots had already admitted wrongdoing and accepted their punishment.

On Feb. 2, The Boston Herald quoted an unnamed source as saying that the Rams’ walkthrough the day before Super Bowl XXXVI was recorded by a Patriots employee.

Former Rams players, including quarterback Kurt Warner, expressed concern that taping the practice could have helped the Patriots, who were two-touchdown underdogs, in beating the Rams, 20-17.

Belichick’s comments to The Globe came as the team and the N.F.L. were coming under increasing scrutiny for their actions.

Senator Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who is the ranking minority member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met with Goodell on Wednesday to discuss the league’s actions related to the spying scandal. Specter, who has been critical of Goodell’s decision to destroy evidence turned over to the league by the Patriots, said after meeting with Goodell that he was “more determined” to continue his inquiry.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D4 of the New York edition with the headline: Belichick Breaks His Silence And Denies Taping Practice. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe